Mile Temple in Yu County

Mile Temple in Yu County

Mile Temple in Yu County is a cultural relic protection unit of Hebei Province.

Mile Temple is located in Mileyuan Village, Yongquanzhuang Township, Yu County, and is a Qing Dynasty and Republican-era structure. It covers an area of 12,000 square meters. The temple buildings are distributed along a central north-south axis, arranged from front to back as the mountain gate, front hall, and main hall. The distance between each hall is relatively long, and the courtyards are spacious. The mountain gate and the front hall (Mile Hall) were built during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, while the main hall (Mahavira Hall) was constructed after the 15th year of the Republican era.

The Mile Hall is situated on a platform, featuring a single-eave flush gable roof covered with clay tiles. It is three bays wide and three bays deep, with a five-beam wooden frame structure and a front porch. The roof is adorned with ridges and ornamental animal figures along the edges. To the west of the hall, there are four vacant rooms serving as meditation quarters, while the east wing courtyard includes four main rooms also used as meditation spaces, and five side rooms to the east function as a kitchen. There is a well in the courtyard for use by monks and visitors. Inside the front porch, there is a bell on each side, inscribed with the temple’s construction date, donating disciples, and brokers. The main deity inside the hall is the Laughing Buddha (Maitreya), depicted with a big belly, bare chest and belly, hands resting on his knees, and a kind expression. Behind the Maitreya Buddha is a statue of the Child-Giving Guanyin standing facing south on a platform.

The rear hall (Mahavira Hall) is situated on a moon terrace, spanning seven bays in width and two bays in depth. This hall features a single-eave hip-and-gable roof covered with clay tiles, with ornamental ridges and large mythical beasts along the edges. At the center of the ridge sits a bronze wind-driven pagoda over six feet tall, which serves to ward off lightning and symbolizes the suppression of evil spirits. A large plaque hangs under the central eaves of the hall, inscribed with “Mahavira Hall,” written by Wu Shimin, a successful candidate in the imperial examinations from Huangzhuang during the Qing Dynasty. The middle three bays form the Shakyamuni Hall, where the statue of Sakyamuni Buddha is enshrined on a Sumeru pedestal at the center. To the left front of Sakyamuni stands Ananda, and to the right front stands Kassapa; to the left is the bodhisattva Manjushri riding a blue lion, and to the right is the bodhisattva Samantabhadra riding a white elephant. The hall is adorned with exquisite and detailed Buddhist murals.

The hall preserves wooden carved lattice windows depicting stories from the Tang Dynasty, which hold significant artistic value. In October 2008, it was designated as a provincial-level cultural relic protection unit by the People’s Government of Hebei Province.

Transportation Guide

Address: Mileyuan Village, Yongquanzhuang Township, Yu County, Zhangjiakou City, Hebei Province

Getting There: Take a bus from Yu County to Yongquanzhuang, then transfer to a minibus to reach Mileyuan Village.

Further Reading:

· Fifth Batch of Cultural Relic Protection Units in Hebei Province